THE BEAR AND THE OLD MAN'S DAUGHTERS.

There
was once an old man and he had three little daughters, and one day he
said to them: “I am going out into the fields to plough, and you,
my little daughters, bake me a loaf and bring it to me.”
“But how are we to find you, daddy?” they said.

“As
I go along,” he said, “I shall drop shavings in a row along
the path, and that will help you to find me.” And as the old man
rode along he threwdown the shavings one after the other, and a bear came and drew them all aside on to the path that led to his den.

Then
the eldest daughter said to the youngest: “Go and take the bread
to daddy.” And the youngest said: “But how am I to find
daddy, and where am I to take the bread to?” Then the eldest
answered: “He kept dropping shavings in a row along the path as
he went.” Then she took the loaf, and started off to follow the
shavings, when lo and behold! she came to the bear's den.

And the bear saw her and said: “O-ho! What a nice little girl has come to see me!”

The
next day the old man went off to sow, and he said to his daughters:
“My dear little daughters, my clever little ones, bake me a loaf
and bring it to me in the field.” “But how are we to find
you, daddy?” they said. And he answered: “Yesterday I threw
one row of shavings down, to-day I will throw two.” And he set
off, throwing the shavings down in tworows,
and the bear came and drew them all aside on to the path that led to
his den. Then the second daughter started out with the loaf, following
the shavings, and went straight to the bear's den. And the bear saw her
and said: “O-ho! here's another little girl come to see me!”

The
next day the old man went off to the field to harrow, and he said to
his daughter: “My dear little daughter, bake me a loaf and bring
it to me in the field. I will throw three rows of shavings.” And
the old man went off, throwing the shavings down in three rows, and the
bear came and drew them all aside on to the path that led to his den.
And the eldest daughter set out, and she, too, came to the bear's den.
And the bear saw her and said: “O-ho! here's a third little girl
come to see me in my den!” And there they went on living, when
one day the eldest sister said: “Bruin, Bruin, I'll bake some
pies, and you take them and give them to my daddy to eat.”
“All right,” answered the bear, “I'll take
them.” And so she popped her youngest sister into a sack, and
said:

“Here,
Bruin, take this to my daddy, and mind, don't you eat it yourself on
the way!” And the bear took the sack and set off with it to the
old man. And as he went along, he kept saying to himself:
“Suppose I sit down on a stump, and suppose I just eat one little
pie!” And the youngest daughter in the sack heard him and said:
“Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!”
And the bear thought that this was the eldest sister, and said to
himself: “There now, fancy that! I've come a long way, andyet she can still hear me!”

And
he brought the sack right up to the old man's courtyard, when the dogs
all rushed out and began to bark at him! So he flung down the sack and
ran off home. And the eldest sister asked him: “Did they make you
welcome, Bruin, and give you nice things to eat?” “They
didn't give me anything to eat,” he answered, “but their
welcome was loud enough.”

The
next day the eldest sister said: “Bruin, take my daddy some more
pies to eat!” And she tied up her other sister in the sack, and
the bear put it on his back and carried it off into the village. And as
he went through the forest he kept saying to himself: “Suppose I
sit down on a stump, and suppose I just eat one little pie!” And
the second daughter said to him from out of the sack: “Don't sit
down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!” And the bear
thought: “There now, fancythat!
I've come a long way, and yet she can still hear me, and tells me not
to eat a pie!” And so he reached the old man's courtyard, and
when the dogs went for him that time, they all but worried him to
death! So he flung down the sack and ran off home. And the eldest
sister asked him: “Did they welcome you warmly, Bruin, and give
you plenty to eat?” “It wassucha warm welcome, and they gave me so much to eat, that I shan't forget it in a hurry!” he answered.

And
the next day the eldest girl said: “I'll bake some more pies, and
you take them to my daddy for him to eat.” And so she herself sat
down inthe sack, and the bear carried her off. And as he carried her along he kept saying to himself: “Oh, Ishouldso like to sit down on a stump, and Ishouldso
like to eat one little pie!” And the eldest daughter said to him
from out of the sack: “Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't
eat a pie, don't!” And the bear thought: “There now, fancy
that! Look at the long way I've come, and yet she can still see and
hear me!” And so he brought the sack to the old man, and then the
dogs came upon him andall
but tore him in bits. And he ran off into the forest without as much as
looking round, and the old man began once more to live with his three
little daughters.